Silvio Gesell

TheoristClassical1862–1930· German-Argentine

Merchant and self-taught economist who proposed that money should depreciate over time so it circulates rather than hoards. His 1916 Die natürliche Wirtschaftsordnung is the foundational text behind every demurrage-based currency, from Wörgl's stamp scrip to modern flatcoins like Freicoin and Chiemgauer.